BILLERICA -- Andover Road resident George Simolaris estimates he's hand-painted dozens of signs to convince people to vote in next Monday's historic referendum on the town-center redesign plan.

Maybe nearly 100 signs, he says. He's lost track.

But he keeps painting. Because to Simolaris, every sign he doesn't paint is one less voter who will show up at the polls.

The number of Simolaris' hand-painted signs dramatically increases as motorists drive closer to the center of town.

Most days, drivers see him during commuting hours, standing in the Town Common. He's set up shop at the entrance to the Town Hall and the high school, where students have now affectionately dubbed him "Crazy George."

The signs feature catchy phrases like "what kind of elected official impedes the right to vote?" and "you can't save the world but you can save the center."

His feverish clip, Simolaris said, is because time is short.

He's succeeded before. Last month he had seven days to secure the signatures of about 1,252 registered Billerica voters to put the $14 million town-center question up for a town-wide vote.

With a little help from town-center residents, and an assist from members of the Republican Town Committee, Simolaris collected more than 1,400 signatures.

He stands in stubborn opposition to the project, which would bring two-way traffic back to Boston Road yet would also increase the footprint of the Town Common.

Advertisement

But he said he also thinks the matter is too important for it to be decided by "a select few" at Town Meeting, of which Simolaris is an elected member.

As of the Nov. 6 general election, there are approximately 26,217 registered voters. If fewer than 20 percent (approximately 5,243 registered voters) show up Monday, the vote is nullified under the Town Charter.

However, Simolaris also knows that if enough voters show up, the town-center project will need a two-thirds majority to pass -- same as the rules at Town Meeting.

Last month, Town Meeting approved the project, 133-59, just a few ticks above 69 percent.

Simolaris is not getting much assistance from town officials, who contend that any get-out-the-vote push would give the appearance of impropriety.

Opponents of the project were first irked when Town Clerk Shirley Schult recommended to selectmen that the vote be slated for a Monday and not on a Saturday, the usual day for town elections.

At Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Simolaris' plea to have the Police Department work with the Town Manager's Office to schedule a town-wide "robo-call" election day reminder was dismissed.

Selectman Mike Rosa, who has publicly opposed the project and has labeled it a waste of taxpayer dollars, was the lone member on the board to make a motion in favor of the robocall. His motion was not seconded.

Just to be safe, Simolaris said he recently forked over $200 to have professional signs made.

Tony Ventresca, a member of the Finance Committee who also opposes the project, said Wednesday he paid for an additional 250 signs. He's also a member of the Republican Town Committee but stressed that anything to do with a pro-vote campaign on the referendum has been performed individually and not on behalf of the committee.

"It's an interesting mix of people who are against this proposal," he said. "It's not just Republicans and conservatives."

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sun. So keep it civil.